Hosiery shaping and drying apparatus.



W. D. BUTZ HOSIERY SHAPING AND DRYING APPARATUS.

APPLICATION FILED SEPT. Ll, I916.

Patented Dec. 5, 1916.

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WALTER D. BU'IZ, OF NORRISTOWN, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO PARAMOUNT HOSIERY FORM DRYING- OO., OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF ILLINOIS.

Specification of Letters Batent.

Original application filed May 2, 1913, Serial No. 765,944. Divided and. this application filed September 11, 1916'. Serial No. 119,473.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, WALTER D. BU'rz, a

citizen of the United States, residing at.

Norristown, in the county of Montgomery and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Hosiery Shaping and Drying Apparatus, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This-invention relates broadly to hosiery drying and shaping apparatus, and has especial reference to drying and shaping forms adapted to be heated from within.

This case is a true division of the application filed by me May 2, 1913, Serial No. 7 65,044, and entitled Apparatus for drying and shaping stockings. v

The primary object of my invention is to provide a drying and shaping form adapted to facilitate the application of hosiery thereto and the removal of the same therefrom;

. and, also, to effect a simultaneous drying and shaping of such hosiery by applying heat to the internal surface of the fabric and at the same time to present to such internal surface a shaping instrumentality adapted to effect a shaping of the fabric in conformity with the contour to which the fabric has been knit.

v Another object is to provide a form of the kind referred to,to the end that the hosiery may be finished thereon and be given a creasing to cause the fabric to lie in a substantially flat condition when dry.

Still another object within the contemplan of the invention is to construct the form of some metal having the characteristic of being self-lubricating and nonstaining.

The invention in general seeks to provide a drying and shaping structure which is peculiarly adapted for finishing hosiery, preferably in a moistened condition; and which structure, from an operative standpoint, has in practical use been demonstrated to possess a high degree of efficiency, durability and capacity and which is, structurally con sidered, exceedingly simple.

Other objects and advantages will in part be obvious from the annexed drawings and in part be pointed out in the following description.

In order that the invention may more readily be comprehended, drawings illustratlng a possible embodiment of the invent on are hereto appended as a part of this disclosure; it being manifest, however, that other embodiments and other utilizations employing the underlying principles of the invention fall within the spirit thereof and within the objects contemplated thereby.

In these drawings: Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the apparatus, including my mproved drying and shaping form; Fig. 2 1s a View in perspective, on an enlarged scale, of the form; Fig. 3'is a view in transverse section on the line 38, Fig. 2; and Fig. 4 is a similar view on the line M, Fig. 2.

Referring to these drawings, it will be observed that the reference-numeral 1 designates a support which, in this instance, is a plpe mounted on a table 2, here shown in fragmentary form.

Mounted upon the pipe is a series of hosiery drying and shaping forms or boards 3. These forms upstand from the pipe and, preferably, are disposed at an angle in relation to the vertical.

In order to facilitate the application of hosiery to each of the forms and the removal of such hosiery therefrom, I preferably make these forms wholly or mainly of such a metal as aluminum, because I have discovered that this metal possesses a peculiar self-lubricating characteristic, which pre vents the stockings from undesirably adhering to the form. Moreover, I have discovered that forms that are composed mainly of aluminum have also the characteristic of not staining bleached or delicately-colored fabric, even where the same have been wetted by perspiration from the hands of the operators; this being a characteristic not possessed by other metals now known to me.

Each form includes an enlarged base A- which fits upon the pipe 1, as shown.

The forms are hollow in order that a heating medium, such as steam, may be introduced into the same, from the pipe 1', for heating each form from within.

Each form has two distinct sides, the two constituting two spaced-apart arcuate surfaces 5, 5 disposed in angular relation to each other and terminating in relatively reduced edges 6, 6 ;-that is to say, the curved surfaces 5 of the sides intersect to produce Patented Dec. 5, llhffi.

the beveled or relatively reduced, creaseproducing edges 6. In consequence, the form is thickest adjacent its medial portion 7 and is relatively thin at the point of intersection of the curved surfaces to present said oppositely disposed, beveled or relav tively-reduced edges 6 that have the function of forming a crease in the fabric stretched on the form. By under-beveling .the sides, adjacent their edges, the form is expanded or given a bulge intermediate of its edges to provide the plurality of oppositely-disposed fabric-flattening surfaces 5. Preferably, the thickness of the bulged section of the form is less than one-third, approximately, of the width of the form. This bulged or expanded medial section provides oppositely-curved surfaces which have a normal tendency evenly to stretch the hosiery disposed on the form and, in consequence, effects a desirable shaping of the article while being dried thereon. In other words, the under-beveled sides effect a shaping of the hosiery-article while the relatively-reduced or sharpened edges effect a creasing of the hosiery at the front and back portions thereof.

In practice, it has been found that a stocking or sock can be pulled on and off a form (of a contour like that herein revealed) with great facility because, when dried, it is made more nearly to conform to the shape to which the fabric of the article has been knit: Hosiery is knit on machines, nowadays, with the particular purpose in view of causing it to conform to and fit the human leg and foot with their peculiar curves and lines. Consequently, the knit fabric must, when dried and finished, be given a defined shape and not-be distorted while be ing dried and shaped from that shape to which it has been knit, as already explained; in other words, it must not be deformed to any substantial extent while being boarded, that is, While being disposed on and removed from the form.

v The particular shape of the formineluding its curved and expanded sides and its beveled edge-portionsand the lubricating qualities of the metal of which it is made contribute, in a large measure, to reduce friction that would otherwise be engendered between the form and the article while being disposed thereon. Furthermore, the curved surfaces of the form present a larger area of contact between the form and the hosiery and this automatically enables all requisite'stretching and finishing of the fabric to be effected and, especially, in the heel and toe, where there is a surplus of fabric. An additional function' of the curved surfaces of the form (by reason of the larger area of contacting engagement between the fabric and the form) resides in the fact that no air spaces or pockets are presented between the fabric and the form; the result being that the drying of the fabric is effected with greater uniformity and expedition.

Besides shaping the hosiery, as just described, it is desirable to finish it by forming a crease in its front and rear portions; and, to this end, the two convex surfaces, in my improved form, terminate so as to present beveled edge-portions which effect a creasing on the internal surface of the fabric. In addition, these edges guide the operator in alining the stitches of the goods in correct parallels and, thus, enable the operator to board hosiery straight on the form.

From the foregoing, it will be perceived that I have succeeded in devising a hosiery drying and shaping device which is especially well adapted to achieve the several objects and ends in View.

The structure is simple; its shape 18 adapted to efiect an important function; and it is constructed, preferably, of a metal that has certain desirable characteristics.

What I claim is:

1. A hosiery drying form, relatively thin in cross-section and hollow to contain a heating medium, and having its sides beveled to present relatively reduced edges and expanded intermediate such edges to provide oppositely-curved fabric-shaping surfaces.

2. A hosiery-drying form relatively thin in' cross-section, its exterior comprising two surfaces disposed in angular relation to each other and terminating in a relatively reduced crease-producing edge, each of said surfaces tapering from adjacent a medial line thereof toward the crease-producing edge.

3. A hosiery drying form relatively thin in cross-section, its exterior comprising two arcuate surfaces terminating in a relatively reduced crease-producing edge. 4 4. A metallic, hosiery drying and shaping form, hollow to contain a heating medium, and relatively thin in cross-section, and having its sides formed of two surfaces disposed in angular relation to each other and which intersect to present creaseproducing edges; the form being thickest adjacent its medial line to present oppositely-disposed fabric-stretching surfaces, and the sides thereof tapering from said nedial line toward the crease-producing e ges.

5. A metallic, hosiery drying and shaping form, hollow to contain a heating medium, and relatively thin in cross-section, and having its sides formed of two arcs which intersect to resent crease-producing edges; the form being thickest adjacent its medial line to present oppositely-disposed fabric-stretching surfaces.

. and shaping form having its sides neontee 6. A hosiery drying form relatively thin in heating medium and having sides which converge from adjacent its medial section to present relatively-reduced, oppositelydisposed edges, the form being bulged at its said medial section to provide oppositely-disposed fabric-shaping surfaces.

7. A hosiery drying form having its two sides spaced apart to provide a space for a heating medium, both the inner and the outer surfaces of the sides being composed of aluminum whereby corrosion within and without the form is avoided, said sides being beveled to present crease-producing edges and being bulged intermediate such edges to present oppositely-curved surfaces to efiect a tendency of the fabric disposed thereon to stretch.

8. As an article of manufacture,'a drying converging to present substantially-reduced creaseproducing edge-portions, said sides being curved practically from edge to edge so as to present a substantially widened por-- tion adjacent the medial line of the form and composed mainly of aluminum, the form being hollow to contain a heating medium for heating it from within.

9. A hosiery-drying and shaping form composed principally of aluminum to present a self-lubricating, nonstaining surface and being relatively thin in cross-section, and having its sides converging from adjacent its medial section to present reduced, crease-producin edge-portions and to provide a substantially widened portion adjacent said medial line of the form.

10. A hosiery drying and shaping form composed principally of aluminum to present a self-lubricating, nonstaining surface, being relatively thin in cross-section, and

cross-section and hollow to contain ato present a self-lubricating,

having its sides converging to present reduced edgeportions and curved from edge to edge to present a substantially widened portion adjacent the medial line of the form, the form being provided with an internal partition dividing it into a plurality ofchambers for containing a medium to heat the form from within.

11. A drying and shaping form for hosiery composed principally of aluminum nonstaining surface and comprising a body-portion relatively thin in cross-section formed by sides which converge to present relativelyreduced edge-portions and which are curved from edge to edge to present 'a widened portion adjacent the medial line of the form, said form being hollow to contain a medium adapted to heat it from within, and a base-portion integral with the bodyportion and provided with inlet and outlet ports.

12. A hosiery drying and shaping form comprising a metallic body-portion relatively thin in cross-section and having its edge-portion reduced and rounded to resent crease-producing surfaces, the sides thereof being curved to provide a fabricstretching surface, and a base-portion integral with the body-portion and provided with inlet and outlet ports communicating with the interior of the form for the passage into the interior of the form of a medium to effect a heating of said curved sides and edge-portions from within.

In testimony whereof affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WALTER n. enra.

Witnesses:

IRWIN J. Go'rwALs, MARTHA C. S. BISBING.

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